Dravid's shoe-lace costs him his wicket!

Birmingham, Aug 13: Cricket has indeed seen loads of erroneous and controversial dismissals in the past. Indian top-order batsman Rahul Dravid's doubtful exit in he second innings of the Third Test against England, has also created a stir.

In India's 16th over, the Wall was given out caught behind when on first glance it appeared that an outswinger from James Anderson had picked up the bat's edge through to the keeper. A slightly bemused, but mainly disappointed Dravid, made his way off the crease, a frown upon his face.

But baffling replays subsequently showed clear daylight streaming between bat and ball as the two items passed!The bat didn't even appear anywhere close to the pad to have caused the faulty sound. The Hot Spot remained cold. Even the snick-o-metre didn't indicate an aberration in its tone-line till milliseconds after the ball had crossed the edge of the bat.

Then several replays later, commentator David Frost discerned that the bat had actaully brushed against the lace of Dravid's boot in the willow's follow-through and that it was most likely this unusual collision that exuded the impression of a thick nick by the ball off the bat!

Had Dravid backed his doubt with a decision review appeal, he might have gotten away with a life on the basis of the circumstances behind the dismissal being so inconclusive. But it didn't strike him to do so and India had lost a valuable wicket with the score reading a pitiful 50/3.

The one man who could have given India a glimmer of hope of securing a draw in this Test... undone by a shoe-lace!